BANGKOK: It often starts with a text message asking if you are available on weekends, looking for a part-time job or you get a simple "hello” from an unknown number. Halfway across the world, a labourer is usually pulling in 12-16 hour days, sending non-stop messages, hoping someone will take the bait.
The ultimate goal is always to take your money - victims have lost tens of billions to scams and hundreds of thousands of people are in forced labour to keep the schemes going. These workers are often housed in massive complexes scattered across South-East Asia, where the industry has flourished.
